The present invention relates to an electrical connector such as an L-type coaxial connector. More specifically, the present invention relates to an insulation member disposed in an outer conductive member which configures the L-type coaxial connector.
An information device such as a laptop computer, a small electric device such as a mobile phone, and the like is configured to have an internal wiring arrangement using many small coaxial cables. For example, the coaxial cable is downsized so that a connector has a height as low as 1 mm when the coaxial cable is connected to the connector. In addition, the coaxial connectors are configured to have various shapes so that the coaxial cables are connected to a mating connector on a board or other coaxial cable. Commonly, a center conductive member of the coaxial cable is soldered to a central terminal of the coaxial connector in order to establish an electrical connection. However, when the electrical connection is established by the soldering method, it is necessary to implement a soldering process which requires a skilled technique. As a result, it may become difficult to improve productivity.
As one of solutions solving the problem above, Patent Reference 1 has disclosed a conventional coaxial electrical connector (a conventional connector). The conventional connector includes an outer conductive member having a cylindrical connecting portion, a dielectric member retained and held in the cylindrical connecting portion, a central terminal held with the dielectric member and having a connecting portion and a contact portion, and a pressing member for pressing a central terminal placed on a holding surface of the connecting portion.
Patent Reference 1: Japanese Patent Publication No. 2008-147094
In the conventional connector disclosed in Patent Reference 1, the cylindrical connecting portion has an axis in a direction the connector is connected to a mating connector and is opened in one end thereof. The connecting portion of the central terminal is to be connected to a center conductive member of a coaxial cable. The contact portion of the central terminal contacts a mating terminal of the mating connector. The outer conductive member includes a lid portion for covering the cylindrical connecting portion as being bent at a portion thereof next to the cylindrical connecting portion. The outer conductive member of the conventional connector further includes a surrounding portion for holding the coaxial cable after the lid portion is bent. The surrounding portion and the lid portion are formed consecutively.
In the conventional connector disclosed in Patent Reference 1, the center conductive member of the coaxial connector is exposed by removing an end portion of an outer jacket. Then the center conductive member is placed on the holding surface. The holding surface is formed in the connecting portion of the central terminal of the conventional connector. Next, the pressing member receives a pressing force as the lid portion of the outer conductive member is bent. The pressing member receives the pressing force and then presses the center conductive member of the coaxial cable between a pressing surface of the pressing member and the holding surface of the contact portion. Further, at least either of the pressing surface of the pressing member and the holding surface of the contact portion of the central terminal includes a position regulating portion. As a pressing surface presses the center conductive member against the holding surface, the center conductive member is held in a proper position by the position regulating portion. As described above, in the conventional coaxial electrical connector in Patent Reference 1, it is possible to hold the center conductive member in the proper position without the soldering process.
In the conventional connector disclosed in Patent Reference 1, however, when the pressing member is made with a molding material such as a liquid crystal polymer (LCP) resin and the like filled with a filler such as a glass fiber, a carbon fiber, mica and the like, the pressing member may not be bent at a fixed position as the connector is downsized. As a result, the pressing surface of the pressing member may not press the center conductive member of the coaxial cable against the holding surface of the contact portion to the proper position. For example, when the pressing member is molded with the LCP resin and the like filled with the filler, the pressing member may not be bent at a regular position of a bottom portion thereof since the filler is not distributed uniformly at the bottom portion or as the filler exists right in the bottom portion where the pressing member is bent.
In a case described above, the pressing surface of the pressing member of the lid portion shifts from the regular position where the pressing surface correctly overlaps the holding surface of the contact portion. As a result, it is not possible to press the center conductive member of the coaxial cable to the proper position with the sufficient pressing force. Therefore, the coaxial cable may have unstable response in high frequency since impedance thereof is deteriorated.
Patent Reference 2 has disclosed a conventional coaxial plug connector including a shell portion, an inner plug contact, a plug outer conductive member and an insulating lid portion. The insulating lid portion in Patent Reference 2 is situated between the shell portion and the inner plug contact and insulates between the plug outer conductive member and the inner plug contact. Further, the insulating lid portion corresponds to the pressing member in Patent Reference 1. The insulating lid portion covers a dielectric member of a coaxial cable placed in a neck portion of the plug outer conductive member as being closed together with a lid portion of the plug outer conductive member. The insulating lid portion made from an insulating material is connected to an insulator main body through a hinge provided an inner side thereof. The hinge is bent as the insulating lid portion is closed.
Patent Reference 2: Japanese Patent Publication No. 08-022851
When the insulating lid portion is accompanied with the hinge as described above, the hinge has a certain width. Therefore, due to the same reason described above, when the insulator is made with a molding material such as the LCP resin and the like filled with the filler, the insulating lid portion may not be bent at a fixed position of the hinge as being closed. Accordingly, the insulating lid portion may not be bent at a proper position.
In view of the problems described above, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector including an insulation member retained in an outer conductive member and a terminal fixed to the insulation member. The electrical connector of the present invention enables a middle lid portion of the insulation member to be bent consistently at a proper position in a bottom portion thereof as the middle lid portion of the insulation member is bent for pressing a coaxial cable between an inner surface thereof and an upper surface of the terminal without soldering of a center conductive member of the coaxial cable.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.